a weekend in food
Jan. 30th, 2006 12:13 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jlhNothing here about the SAGs because they were really boring. I changed my layout, though; suddenly felt the need for something really simple.
Friday I went to a party, much fun, etc. Saturday a bunch of folks came over to enjoy my mother's food and see pictures of Spain courtesy of CC and Josh's recent journey.
I had been thinking about my mother's spaghetti and meatballs, a recipe that was taught to her by her Italian godparents. The sauce is super easy: In a medium-sized pot, saute a few cloves of garlic (to your taste) in olive oil. Add a teaspoon or so each of dried oregano and red pepper flakes. Pour in two 28-oz cans of crushed tomatoes (careful, the oil is hot and it splatters) and a 6-oz can of tomato paste. Fill the tomato paste can with either water or wine and add that as well. Bring the heat down to the lowest simmer you can maintain, put the lid on the pot slightly ajar, and leave the sauce on the back of the stove, stirring occasionally to make sure it isn't catching or bubbling too much. If it looks a little thick, thin with water. If you want a meat sauce, cook the meat, drain, and add to the sauce. Cook for oh, around 4-5 hours. Plenty to feed a family with leftovers.
To you canned tomato snobs: I like the texture of crushed tomatoes a lot; it's what I grew up with and it satisfies small children who don't want pieces of tomato in their sauce. Also, this sauce is so simple that I really don't want to be messing with a food mill just to use the whole tomatoes; I don't think the small difference in quality really makes up for all that effort. But you should use really good tomatoes, since that's all that really flavors this simple sauce.
Dim sum this morning, in rain that made the confetti from the cannons run and turn the pavement red. Welcome to the year of the dog!
Friday I went to a party, much fun, etc. Saturday a bunch of folks came over to enjoy my mother's food and see pictures of Spain courtesy of CC and Josh's recent journey.
I had been thinking about my mother's spaghetti and meatballs, a recipe that was taught to her by her Italian godparents. The sauce is super easy: In a medium-sized pot, saute a few cloves of garlic (to your taste) in olive oil. Add a teaspoon or so each of dried oregano and red pepper flakes. Pour in two 28-oz cans of crushed tomatoes (careful, the oil is hot and it splatters) and a 6-oz can of tomato paste. Fill the tomato paste can with either water or wine and add that as well. Bring the heat down to the lowest simmer you can maintain, put the lid on the pot slightly ajar, and leave the sauce on the back of the stove, stirring occasionally to make sure it isn't catching or bubbling too much. If it looks a little thick, thin with water. If you want a meat sauce, cook the meat, drain, and add to the sauce. Cook for oh, around 4-5 hours. Plenty to feed a family with leftovers.
To you canned tomato snobs: I like the texture of crushed tomatoes a lot; it's what I grew up with and it satisfies small children who don't want pieces of tomato in their sauce. Also, this sauce is so simple that I really don't want to be messing with a food mill just to use the whole tomatoes; I don't think the small difference in quality really makes up for all that effort. But you should use really good tomatoes, since that's all that really flavors this simple sauce.
Dim sum this morning, in rain that made the confetti from the cannons run and turn the pavement red. Welcome to the year of the dog!
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no subject
Date: 2006-01-30 11:32 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-30 11:49 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-30 03:02 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-30 07:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-30 08:12 pm (UTC)In my family, we all use the same basic recipe - my grandma's - but everyone has altered it slightly to make it their own. I didn't know this alteration was supposed to be a secret until my uncle and I did our traditional Christmas lasagna. I helped make the sauce and let slip my mom's ingredient. When she found out, I got the tongue-lashing of a lifetime. Ahhh, Italians :D
no subject
Date: 2006-01-31 05:37 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-31 03:55 pm (UTC)